SAMPLE PAPER Class - X English - 2008  SET - 4

 

This paper consists of four Sections
Section A-Reading --- 20 marks
Section B-Writing --- 30 marks
Section C-Grammar --- 20 marks
Section D-Literature --- 30 marks

 

SECTION B

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.     Attempt all questions.

2.     Do not write anything in the question paper.

3.     All the answers must be correctly numbered as in the question paper and written in the answer sheet provided to you.

4.     Ensure that questions for each Section are answered together.

5.     Read each question carefully and follow the instructions.

6.     Strictly adhere to the word limit given with each question. Marks will be deducted for exceeding the word limit.

 

 

A1. Read the following passage carefully. (12 marks)

If we would see our dream of Panchayat Raj, i.e., true democracy realized, we would regard the humblest and lowest Indian as being the ruler of India with the tallest in the land. This presupposes that all are pure, or will become pure if they are not. And purity must go hand-in-hand with wisdom. No one would then harbour any distinction between community and community, caste and out-caste. Everybody would regard all as equal with oneself and hold them together in the silken net of love. No one would regard another as untouchable. We would hold as equal the toiling labourer and the rich capitalist. Everybody would know how to earn an honest living by the sweat of one's brow, and make no distinction between intellectual and physical labour. To hasten this consummation, we would voluntarily turn ourselves into scavengers. No one who has wisdom will ever touch opium, liquor or any intoxicants. Everybody would observe Swadeshi as the rule of life and regard every woman, not being his wife, as his mother, sister or daughter according to her age, never lust after her in his heart. He would be ready to lay down his life when occasion demands it, never want to take another's life. If he is a Sikh in terms of the commandment of the Gurus, he would have the heroic courage to stand single-handed and alone-without yielding an inch of ground-against the "one lakh and a quarter" enjoined by them. Needless to say, such a son of India will not want to be told what his duty in the present hour is.

 

A1.1 On the basis of your reading of the above passage, complete the following sentences. Write the answers in your answer sheet against the correct blank numbers. (1 x 3 = 3 marks)

(a) Panchayat Raj is true democracy because .............. .
(b) When purity goes hand-in-hand with wisdom there will not be any .....................
(c) A man of wisdom will never use ........................in democracy.

A1.2 On the basis of your reading of the passage write two advantages of true democracy. (l x 2= 2 marks)

A1.3 On the basis of your reading of the passage answer the following questions: (2 x 2½ = 5 marks)

(a) The Panchayat Raj will eradicate untouchability. How?
(b) How will Swadeshi promote patriotism and a sense of national pride?

A1.4 Find words / phrases from the passage which mean the same as the following from the paragraphs indicated. (1 X 2 = 2 marks)

(a). The act of making something complete or perfect.
(b) Without being forced.

  

A2 Read the following passage carefully. (8 marks)

 

1. An overseas poll conducted by the BBC has concluded that Sir Isaac Newton was the “Greatest Briton” of all time, followed by Churchill and Princess Diana.

 

2. Newton’s enormous scientific achievements seem to have influenced the outcome; while in the case of Churchill, it was his leadership qualities during World War II.

 

3. Ranking Diana third has destroyed the credibility of the whole exercise. Her charm, kindness and involvement in charitable causes contributed greatly to make her an icon all over the world. But that is where the admiration for her has to stop.

 

4. However, I was shocked to find Shakespeare, the greatest genius of all time, had been relegated to the status of a ‘runner-up’. There is also no justification to deny Darwin his rightful place, in as much as his contribution to biology is as significant as Newton’s is to physics. For all these reasons, opinion polls of this kind are unreliable, misleading and invite ridicule.

 

5. Take a look at Shakespeare’s enormous vocabulary. He employed 9,36,433 words in his writings, out of which 27,780 are different words. The average person uses less than 1,000 words in writing, a little more than that in speech and has a recognition vocabulary of about 5,000 words. Some of the greatest writers may have twice this capability.

 

6. Today, English has a total vocabulary of two million words followed by German as a pathetic second with 1,86,000 words, Russian with 1,36,000 words, and French with 1,26,000 words. Thus Shakespeare in the 16th Century used five times the number of words in modem German!

 

7. Shakespeare is the most quoted writer in history. His plays have been translated into 50 languages. In the Oxford Dictionary of Quotations containing about 20,000 quotations, Shakespeare alone monopolises a staggering 60 pages (10 percent). He coined 1700 new words. Many of the phrases and terms created by him are in daily use. Some of them have been used as titles for books and movies.

 

8. The vastness of vocabulary and the ability to see the relationship between words is one of the major factors in measuring genius. Shakespeare excelled any other human being in this aspect. His encyclopaedic knowledge of science, history, mathematics, classical literature, sociology, psychology, law, Latin, French politics, music and art acquired by studying books relating to almost every mental discipline and observing the habits and style of life of various sections of people all around him enabled him to draw ideas generously from all those sources for being. used in his plays.

 

9. The lyrical grandeur of his language covers every known figure of speech from metaphor to simile, hyperbole to hendiadys. The alchemic process in the crucible of Shakespeare’s brain transmuted emotions, like ambition, frustration, jealousy, greed, romantic love, joy, and sorrow he found all around him in people into the rich gold of his ever-lasting plays. Hence there is no emotion or activity or situation in the human condition that is not found in his plays.

 

10. Then what justification is there for any voter, whatever his profession, to place this extraordinary man who is “In judgement a Nestor / In genius a Socrates! In art a Virgil” in the position of a runner-up in a ranking of the greatest Briton ever.

 

11. Is it not ironical that a great poet like Coleridge had once equated Shakespeare to 500 Newtons but the voters who took part in the BBC poll have placed him far below Newton?

 

1 On the basis of your understanding of the passage above complete the following sentences. Write the answers in your answer sheet against the correct blank numbers. (8 marks)

 

 

According to the BBC overseas poll (a) ……, (b) …………and Princess Diana are ranked as first, second and third respectively in the list of ten greatest Britishers (2)

The author says the opinion poll lacks credibility because (c) ……. (1)

According to the poll conditions, Shakespeare (d) ……, which is unjust. (1)

(e) Four instances quoted quoted by the author in support of Shakespeare’s genius are: (4)

i.        ………………

ii.      ……………..

iii.    …………..

iv.   …………….

 

SECTION B

 

B1. Given below is a portion of the diary entry of an astronaut. Complete the paragraph given below using the words and phrases. Write the answers in your answer sheet against the correct blank numbers. (1 x 5=5)

 

24th Nov. moon - weightless - cannot be precise - on how body behaves astronauts adapt - balance sensors - confuse them - soon body balances - move no gravity - on return - time to reorient

 

The (a) ......in moon is totally new and unimaginable. One cannot say with any degree of (b) ......................... Gradually, the astronauts are guided by the balance sensors. But many a time, (c)......The body in a short period learns to balance itself and (d) .......This can be a problem and so one may need (e) ..... on returning to earth

 

B2. Given below is an extract from an article in 'Newsweek':

'For years, I ate fast food because it was efficient and cheap. I had no idea I could be damaging my health' says Ceasar Barbar, 56 ' maintenance worker with heart disease.
Write a letter to the editor of the newspaper on the health hazards caused by junk food using your own ideas and ideas from the unit on 'Health and Medicine.' Your answer should be in about 150 words. (10 marks)

 

Write down the message in not more than 50 words. (5 marks)

 

5. You are Rekha/Rohit. You have seen the following news item in the newspaper

.

Video Games, Internet, cell phones and other high-tech gear are just part of growing up in a digital world. But parents are concerned about the amount of time their children spend with these and worry that it might be distracting and cramping academic and social development.

 

Using your own ideas and those taken from the unit ‘Science’, write an article in about 200 words describing both the benefits and drawbacks of using these high-tech devices. (10 marks)

 

SECTION C (GRAMMAR)

 

C1. In the passage given below, one word has been omitted in each line. Write the missing word along with the word that comes before and the word that comes after it in your answer sheet against the correct blank number. Ensure that the word that forms your answer is underlined. (½ x 10 = 5 marks)

 

 

 

Laughter begins in the lungs diaphragm, setting the liver, stomach and internal organs into quick, jellylike vibration, which gives a pleasant sensation and exercise, equal to that riding on a horse. During digestion, movements of the stomach are similar churning. Every time you take a full breath, when you cachinnate well, the diaphragm descends gives the stomach an extra squeeze and shakes. Frequent laughing sets the stomach to dancing, hurrying the digestive process. The heart faster, and sends the blood bounding through the body.

e.g. lungs and diaphragm (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) (i) (j)

 

C2. Look at the words and phrases below. Rearrange them to form meaningful sentences. The first one has been done as an example.
Write the correct sentences in your answer sheet against the correct blank numbers. ("2 x 6= 3 marks)

Relieves and amuses/ the soul /laughter /the depressed    (laughter relieves and amuses the depressed soul)

(a)place to place / because I / I travel / move from / like to
(b) me / the sense / it gives / of freedom / enjoy / 1
(c) and / it pleases / of responsibilities / me / be / to / duties / rid /
(d) odd people / I / moment / who / amuse me / meet / for a /
(e) add / often tired / feel / travel / I am / to my / I can / personality / of myself / and / that by /
(f) day / the / happy / wish / you / returns / many / of  / the / event / take / of / please

C3. Use the information in the headlines to complete the news items given below. Write the answers in your answer sheet against the- correct blank numbers. Do not copy the whole sentence. (1 x 4 = 4 marks)

a. SANIA MIRZA UP BY TWO PLACES
Sania Mirza won her match and so

b. LIFE STANDS STILL DUE TO AVALANCHE
All movement due to the avalanche

c. FAILURE OF MONSOON CAUSES DROUGHT
Many areas have been declared as

d. ONE MORE GIR LION DEAD
Another lion

 

C4. Certain tips are given below on how to plan an advertisement in a newspaper. Use the information to complete the instructions Gaur gave his students. Write the answers in your answer sheet against the correct blank numbers. (5 marks)

Advertisement
Informative	- holds readers' attention; highlights main selling points
Repetitive	- many readers can see it
Layout	- very important - use of logo or -illustration- attracts readers' attention

An advertisement should give enough information (a) ......the readers' attention and (b) ...... points. The advertisement (c) ...............several times, so that it (d) ......attention of many people. The layout of the advertisement and use of logo or small illustrations (e) ......the readers.

C5 Complete the passage with appropriate words.(1/2 * 6 = 3)

 

The boy (a)------------------ I had lent my book has sold it to a hawker(b)   ----------sells icecream outside our school. I was shocked when I heard this. The book (c)  --------------my father had gifted me on my birthday was very expensive. It was one book (d) --------------- I prized  so much. Why did I give it to him? How could I be so foolish.? I must en quire from the icecream vendor (e)---------------- house is in the next block,if he still has the book with  him. If he has I will pay him (f)------------------ he paid to the boy and get back the book.

 

  SECTION D (LITERATURE)

 

D1. Read the extract given below and answer the following questions. Write the answers in your answer sheet in one or two lines only. Remember to number the answers correctly. (3 marks)

‘And some in dreams assured were
Of the Spirit that plagued us so;
Nine fathom deep he had followed us
From the land of mist and snow.’

(a) Who does the ‘us’ refer to? (1)
(b) What state of mind were they in? (1)
(c) Which ‘spirit’ followed them?  (1)

 

D2. Read the extract given below and answer the following questions. Write the answers in your answer sheet in one or two lines only. Remember to number the answers correctly. (4 marks)

‘Blind with tears, the nightingale
Heard him out in silence, tried,
Puffed up, burst a vein, and died.’
(a) Who does the ‘him’ refer to? (1)
(b) Why was the nightingale blind with tears? (1)
(c) Who, according to you, was responsible for the death of the nightingale? Why? (2)

D3. Read the extract given below and answer the following questions. Write the answers in your answer sheet. Remember to number the answers correctly. (5 marks)

She dreamt to-night she saw my statue,
Which, like a fountain with an hundred spouts,
Did run pure blood: and many lusty Romans
Came smiling, and did bathe their hands in it
And these does she apply for warnings, and portents,
And evils imminent; and on her knee
Hath begg’d that I will stay at home to-day.

(a) Who is speaking these lines and to whom? (2)
(b) Which dream is referred to here? (1)
(c) Where was she not letting the speaker go? (2)

D.4. Where did the second ghost  take Scrooge?  How did he succeed in making him realize his mistakes?  (About 75 words) (4 marks)

 

D.5.Mention any two instances from the story ‘The Tribute’ which show that Babuli was ashamed of not visiting his people in the village. (About 75 words) (4 marks)

 

D6. The young girl in ‘The Ultimate Safari’ writes a letter to her friend on her grandmother’s care to bring her up and how life at the refugee camp is. Write the letter in about 150-175 words giving atleast two instances of grandmother’s care and atleast four details of life at the refugee camp  (10 marks)